Second Bundesliga club MSV Duisburg has been denied its league license, according to the DEUTSCHE WELLE. Duisburg "will probably spend next season playing third-tier football," while SV Sandhausen is "saved from relegation." An arbitration court dismissed the club's appeal for its league license "after a six-hour meeting in Frankfurt on Wednesday, effectively relegating the club." Duisburg Chair Jürgen Marbach said, "We all feel empty and sad. This is a bad day for MSV and football." There had been "several complaints about the license documents submitted by Duisburg, including a computation error and supposed unfair credit terms from sponsors." The German Football League's (DFL) licensing committee "decided the financial mistakes were grounds to refuse the club's playing status in the second division." Duisburg's Attorney Horst Kletke said, "It wasn't enough, we have to accept it. It was a fair trial and it was not hopeless. It is sad for MSV, but the arbitration court rejected the suit" (DEUTSCHE WELLE, 6/19).

EMPTY CHEST: In Duisburg, Ingo Blazejewski reported MSV Duisburg's shirt sponsorship deal with online utility brand Rheinpower "is in jeopardy after the DFL denied Duisburg its 2nd Bundesliga license." Rheinpower spokesperson Torsten Hiermann said, "The sponsorship deal calls on both parties to renegotiate if the club gets relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga." Rheinpower "has been the club's title sponsor for four years and the current deal runs for another year." Duisburg gets a reported €1.4M ($1.8M) per year from Rheinpower (DER WESTEN, 6/21).